Step-by-step guide — Entity mapping (cards & blue dots)
Follow these steps to understand and ensure correct entity mapping between systems.
1. Know what entity mapping does
Entity mapping connects the same company across two systems so their data appears together inside your portal.
If mapping succeeds, all data sources for that company show on one card.
2. Learn the two key components: the card and the blue dots
Card: the rectangular area in the portal that represents a company’s combined data (appears after search in the top-right).
Blue dots: visual indicators on the card where each dot equals one integration/source (for example, QuickBooks Online, Autotask/PSA, etc.).
When the blue dots for different sources appear together on the same card, the portal recognizes those sources as the same company.
3. Understand how automated mapping works (exact-name matching)
The system uses exact name matching during the first time information from a source syncs into the portal.
That first-sync match is the only automatic mapping attempt — names must match exactly at that moment for the sources to join on one card.
4. Spot common mapping problems
Example: QuickBooks record =
nineteen Crimesvs Autotask record =nineteen Crimes LLC.They look similar but are not exact matches, so they will not map automatically.
If names differ even slightly at first sync, the blue dots will end up on separate cards.
5. Prevent mapping failures (best practice before initial sync)
Standardize company names across systems before performing the first sync:
Choose a canonical company name format (e.g., include or exclude “LLC”, punctuation, abbreviations).
Update the source systems (QuickBooks, Autotask, etc.) so the company name fields match exactly.
Run a small pilot sync to verify names map correctly before syncing large datasets.
6. What to do if records didn’t map the first time
Important: Simply editing a name later in QuickBooks or Autotask usually won’t retrigger automatic mapping.
Corrective options (choose what fits your portal/support process):
If possible in your portal, remove the incorrect record(s) and re-sync the corrected source so the system can attempt first-time mapping again.
If removing & re-syncing isn’t feasible, check whether your portal supports a manual merge or manual mapping tool — use it to join the blue dots onto one card.
If neither option is available, contact support and provide both source records and timestamps so they can assist with remapping.
7. Verify mapping after fixes
After you standardize names or perform a corrective action, search the company in the portal.
Confirm the card shows a single set of blue dots representing all expected integrations.
8. Maintain consistency over time
Apply your chosen naming convention to new companies going forward.
When onboarding a new integration, perform the name-standardization check as part of the setup checklist.
Video Transcript:
Let's talk about entity mapping and why it's such an important part of your workflow. Entity mapping connects data between two systems so that everything lines up correctly inside your portal. To understand how it works, there are two key components to keep in mind, the card and the blue dots.
First, the card. That's the rectangular area you'll see in the portal.
When you search for a company in the top right corner, that card represents the company's combined data. Then we have the blue dots. These dots live on the card and each one represents a connection from a specific integration source. For example, your accounting package and your PSA tool. In most cases, those will be QuickBooks Online and Auto Task.
For the portal to correctly display all the company data, the blue dots need to appear together on the same card. That means the system needs to recognize that both data sources refer to the same company.
Now here's where problems can happen. Let's say your QuickBooks entry is named nineteen Crimes, but your auto task entry says nineteen Crimes LLC. Even though they look similar, they won't automatically map together. That's because the entity mapping process relies heavily on exact name matching.
The system only performs this automated mapping the first time information syncs into the portal. So if you later notice that two records didn't map correctly because of a small name difference, updating one of them afterward in QuickBooks or Autotask won't trigger a new mapping process. In other words, the names have to match exactly the very first time the data is synced in. That's the key to making sure your entity mapping works smoothly and your data stays connected across platforms.